outdoor chair musings: changing your view

this post comes live to you from my back garden. there's a Bronte dozing near my feet and butterflies skimming around nearby flowers. the sun is beautiful and the breeze brings the scent of lavender and other blossoms.

yep, i'm feeling pretty relaxed right now.

not many 'serious' thoughts have gone through my head today. mostly i've been cleaning out old drawers, putting away books that seem to keep migrating from my study to my bedside table... doing washing. that sort of thing. but i've been enjoying it.

there's many reasons why this is the case:
yes, i am not working or studying right now. this means i can do household chores at my own pace, which is amazing. i have a serious advantage over other people there. (even though, granted, sometimes i can't do anything because i'm too sick. bit of a disadvantage there...)
the weather is sunny, but not too hot.
i have the company of a very happy (and supremely relaxed) pup.
i slept well last night.

there are many reasons. but, ultimately, the reason that i feel happy doing these things comes down to the way i view them - how i approach them, what i'm thinking while i do them, my whole attitude towards them.

there are days when unloading and re-stacking the dishwasher is the bane of my existence. the very act of getting up to do it seems immense and frustrating.

today, though, i remembered something. whenever i do the dishwasher, it always takes much less time than i originally think. i always feel great that i managed to do it. AND Bronte really loves it when i put away the dinner plates for some reason (seriously, every time she hears me putting them away, she runs up all joyful and proceeds to lick my hands/arms/feet/anything she can reach. and, hey, the dishes get WASHED. woo! bazillion sparkle points to me!
it also means that no one else has to do it after a long day of work. bonus points!

i tend to approach things like washing with a certain degree of mindfulness. i find if i'm thinking about what i want to do after the washing is done, i don't enjoy it at all. but if i'm thinking about the washing - the act of putting it in the washing machine, adding soap, etc., i feel more present. and i remember that clean clothes smell and feel amazing. (it also helps that i smile every time i use our eco-friendly soap and turn the settings down to 'cold' water to save electricity - again, sparkle points!!).

cleaning out old drawers and stuff has lately been really enjoyable for me. i put on some favourite music (darren hayes has been favoured above all else lately), and try to be ruthless about what i'm hoarding and such. i tend to dance while cleaning - awesome fun, plus exercise. (yes, more sparkle points!)

when i do chores this way, i feel accomplished and happy with myself. i reward myself with rest, or a tasty treat, or both! things can be more enjoyable if we're present while we do them, you know?

love to all who read!

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